are we still allowed to be survivalists?

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Tadpole

Full Member
Nov 12, 2005
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British Red said:
We were evicted from our hole in the ground - we had to go and live in a lake. Got up at half past ten at night (half an hour before we went to bed) worked 29 hours a day doen't mill for tuppence every four year and when we got home our Mum and Dad would cut us in't two wi't bread knife

But you try and tell the young people today that... and they won't believe ya
 

Toddy

Mod
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Jan 21, 2005
38,989
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Oh, I am, and more :D ..............but I'd just deleted that post to let BR's draw a line under this all. Oh well :rolleyes:
I'll see if I can rescue it :eek:

cheers,
M
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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Ten, twenty, thirty years ago, I called it going for a walk, down the water for the weekend (frequently longer), or camping :D I never came back empty handed then either ;) Enjoying the natural world, using the resources of it, being in tune with it.
Cheers,
Toddy
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
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Tadpole said:
But you try and tell the young people today that... and they won't believe ya
"Nothing like a nice glass of Cheaateau de Cassolay"

Super, we end on Monty Python!

Exits singing

"Always look on the bright side of life"
 

Zodiak

Settler
Mar 6, 2006
664
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drstrange said:
While I am on the subject, does anyone know if there is any truth to the rumour that Baden Powells book was called 'Scouting for boys' or is this just urban myth?
Yes, why?....

BP wrote a military training guide called "Scouting" which was designed to teach men how to live and operate covertly behind enemy lines for extended periods. These were true bush crafters who learnt from the native population and made best use of their surroundings in order to survive.

During the seige of Mafeking BP used many kids to run errands and help with general duties, and he was very impresses with what they achived.

On returing to the UK he saw how sallow and unhealthy our young men were by comparison so he was commisioned by London Magzine to write a series of articles, in the format of camp fire yarns, to inspire them into greater things.

He based his articles on his book and so it was called "Scouting for Boys" despite the fact that he actually attracted a huge number of girls.

There were girlscouts for many years, and it was only repressed Edwardian Society that forced hiom to seperate them off and it took us until 1967 beofre they came back, initially only as Venture Scouts and now of course in all sections.

Scouting for boys was reprinted last year by the Oxford University press with a huge pre-amble but some good and noble from the university. It sets the background nicely but is disposable. The real meat appears exactly as it did in 1907, complete with huge politically inncorect passages that had been removed by prudes over the years.

It is the second largest selling book of all time, after the bible.

But of course you were looking for the Benny Hill definition weren't you :p
 

Zodiak

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Mar 6, 2006
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drstrange said:
The worst thing about cubs or scouts was church parade, it was a kind of mini version of the Nuremberg rallies as i remember
I am an Explorer Scout Leader [14-18 age range] and a Buddhist, if there were ever be a parade that is relevant to my beliefs then we will go until then, we don't.

And yes we do plenty of "wild camping", some of it intentional :) Favourite activities are 1 - Firelighting, 2 - Firelighting and 3 - Firelighting.
 

Tadpole

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Nov 12, 2005
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Zodiak said:
Yes, why?....



But of course you were looking for the Benny Hill definition weren't you :p

I find it funny (in a not funny sort of way) that with the introduction of politically correct language police, has ensured that the use of correct English, can be so deliberately and childishly made vulgar, mainly to the delight titillation, and hilarity of Sun readers
 

Zodiak

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Mar 6, 2006
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Fire Starter said:
Scouting for Boys ..eh... I don't remember being taught primitive technologies and many other survival skills when I was in the scouts, maybe you should call it scouting for men now!

Ahh then you didn't have chance to do the Survival Skills Badge (This is for 10-13 year olds) :)

sc-as-susk.gif


Demonstrate knowledge of the following:

- How to prevent and treat the effects of extreme heat (sunstroke and dehydration) and cold (hypothermia).

- The First Aid treatment for external bleeding and shock, the correct method of applying mouth-to-mouth breathing and the dangers involved in moving injured people.

- How to construct different kinds of shelter.

- How to build several different types of fire and the burning qualities of different woods.

- The correct use of the International Distress Signal, using signals involving items such as whistle, torch and mirror.

- Rescue techniques, for example, air and sea rescue.

- Edible plants, or fruit, or both.

- A suitable method of filtering and purifying water.

With a group of at least three Scouts, take part in a survival exercise lasting about 24 hours, during which the group will:

- Construct a shelter of natural or salvaged materials and sleep in it.

- Cook all meals over an open fire.

- Cook without utensils or aluminium foil. A knife may be used.

- Demonstrate methods of finding direction by day or night without a compass.
 

Zodiak

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Mar 6, 2006
664
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Tadpole said:
I find it funny (in a not funny sort of way) that with the introduction of politically correct language police, has ensured that the use of correct English, can be so deliberately and childishly made vulgar, mainly to the delight titillation, and hilarity of Sun readers

Yep as a scout leader I get that all the time from people who probably regard me as a friend.. "Hows your woggle", "Scouting for boys this weekend?" and of course the absolutly hilarious "Dyb Dyb Dob" which went out in 1967!
 

Tony

White bear (Admin)
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Apr 16, 2003
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This does seem to be going round and round and I really don’t understand why. The term bushcraft is a generic term that’s in use today, the term survival has been in use for longer, the terms fieldcraft, woodcraft, camping etc have also been round for an awfully long time, back in the 1800’s Nessmuk and Kephart were into woodcraft and camping, Forest and Stream (or something like that) was a magazine back then, it was about camping, hunting etc

For some the term Bushcraft isn’t appropriate and for others it is, some like to call it survival, some bushcraft and others, woodcraft, camping, wild camping, adventure, being one with nature, fieldcraft, primitive skills etc etc etc There is no definitive term for what we do, in this instance, on this website it’s called bushcraft and anyone interested in the skills and knowledge we associate with that is more than welcome, no matter what background they come from, that just not an issue unless people make it one.

We’re here to share knowledge, information and help each other as well as to learn and have a social experience; we get together with like minded people and converse. If all the skills and knowledge are the same in bushcraft and survival there should be no issues because it’s easy to share and learn and communicate, hence me not really understanding why a thread like this can go on and on. Early in its life many people said “who cares what we call it, let’s just enjoy what we do” (paraphrased!) and that’s the key to it all. I’ve been going out into the woods, down to the coast, into the fields picking berries, making shelters and camps etc for 30 years, I used to call it going out for a bit, camping, adventure, fun etc Never bushcraft and never survival it was just an activity that I enjoyed.

The bottom line is that if people want to call it survival then they can and if people want to call it bushcraft, woodcraft, camping etc then they can, it’s all down to an individual choice of how they describe what they’re interested in, it makes no difference until the focus of what they’re doing is different. We have people come on here and say that we should be digging our fallout shelters and arming ourselves, because the world is going to pot and we’re going to need to survive and that’s how you do it and anyone else that doesn’t agree is wrong. That’s a different mindset to most of us, the majority of us aren’t interested in escape and evasion, staying covert etc. We are interested in skills that help us within the environments we’re in anyone that contributes to that, no matter what the background or the label is welcome, I know military people that I learn from, I know scouts that I learn from, as well as the old woman up the hill that I talk to, the local farmer, game keepers, my Dad and my 8 year old son. I learn from them all but they’re not what you’d call bushcrafters, I just like to think that my bushcraft knowledge is increasing, and again, that’s a personal choice and viewpoint.

If there skills are the same (which is what the discussion is about) then there shouldn’t be any issue, we should be able to share knowledge and communicate with understanding. Who knows if someone is a bushcrafter or a survivalist when they help point out where someone’s going wrong with some friction firelighting, or some mycology, absolutely no one, it’s the help with the skills that matter, not the perceived label.

There’s few issues in life until we create them, but there’s a lot of common ground.

Just my 2p’s worth, after all I’m the one that named the site :D
 

jdlenton

Full Member
Dec 14, 2004
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andyn said:
Backwards camping....which is also what the scouts called it before they changed it to the survival badge.

are you sure it wasn't back woods camping / cooking thats what we called it and i still do rm makes refrence to the backwoodsman in his first book and thats 10 years ago
 

andyn

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 15, 2005
2,392
29
Hampshire
www.naturescraft.co.uk
jdlenton said:
are you sure it wasn't back woods camping / cooking thats what we called it and i still do rm makes refrence to the backwoodsman in his first book and thats 10 years ago

:eek: typo mate...well spotted LOL.

The old badge used to be better too imo, far more appropriate

s-s_susk.gif
 

Zodiak

Settler
Mar 6, 2006
664
8
Kent UK
drstrange said:
I apologise. Scouts honour ;)

Sorry I shouldn't get so worked up about it...

Its getting increasingly frustrating being a leader, in Kent alone last year the number of kids sorry "Young People" increased by several hundred but the number of adults has decreased which is putting everybody under more pressure which causes more to leave and the ratios just get worse. Sometime I get right upon the high horse and then ask for a ladder to get higher. :sad6:

Next year is the 100th Anniversary of Scouting and there are some quite large events planned, "Pop" concerts in London and Manchester, BP's head is going on the 50p coin, the obliagtory set of stamps.. you name it. However the one we are all dreading is the proposed Channel 4 mini series about BP, which ever way it goes he is in for a right kicking from the public.

I collect old scout books (and bushcraft books... knot books... ) and although I don't always get to read them even I have picked up that BP was no saint so we are expecting comments from the gay lobby, anti-gay lobby, race relations, animal rights, and plenty to show that in his younger days he was no stranger to women. He was also a spy, trapper, and enjoyed performing amateur dramitics in womens clothes... All perectly normal for a British gentleman in the final years of the 19th Century :)
 

Zodiak

Settler
Mar 6, 2006
664
8
Kent UK
andyn said:
Backwoods camping....which is also what the scouts called it before they changed it to the survival skills badge.
yes, I don't know why they changed it, probably to sound more trendy at the time.

We run Bushcraft courses in my District, we use a similar sylabus to the Survival Skills badge and give them that badge. It seems to work quite well but you really need one adult for every 4 or 5 kids which means it doesn't happen very often. :(
 
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